17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Thursday, September 26, 1912: Excuse me, but you know there is an old saying: Don’t talk when you’ve nothing to say, so I’ll just change it to: don’t write, when you’ve nothing to write.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
To keep with the theme—
Don’t blog when you’ve nothing to blog. 🙂
17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Wednesday, September 25, 1912: Was rather surprised at the mark I made yesterday. Didn’t think I would hardly get that. Twas the kind that dummies get.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Whew, I’m surprised that Grandma did poorly on this geometry test. She never worried about the upcoming test during the days preceding the test, and the previous day she’d merely written, “I had a test in geometry.” and then moved on to other topics.
Usually Grandma had a pretty good sense of how she was doing in classes, and if she needed to study—though sometimes she never actually got around to studying.
17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Tuesday, September 24, 1912: It is raining now. I guess or was. Had an exam in Geometry. Took up Arithmetic today. Didn’t have to but I chose to do so.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
High school courses apparently were only a month of so long a hundred years ago.
I wonder why Grandma decided to take Arithmetic if it wasn’t required. Maybe she enjoyed doing mental math.
Here are two mental math tricks for adding fractions that I found in a hundred year old textbook:
Example 1: Add two fractions whose numerators are 1.
Solution: Add the denominators, and place the sum over the product of the denominators.
Example 2: Add two fractions whose numerators are alike and greater than 1.
Solution: Add the denominators and multiply the sum by the numerator of either of the fractions, and write the product over the product of the denominators.
Source: Kimball’s Commercial Arithmetic (1911)
If you like math, you might also enjoy these previous posts:
Odd, Unusual, and Strange Math Problems
More Odd, Unusual, and Strange Math Problems
17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Sunday, September 22, 1912: Went to S.S. this afternoon and attended Catechize.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
When I read this diary entry, I got stuck on a simple vocabulary question. I remember going to “catechism” class when I was in middle school. How does “catechize” differ from “catechism”? Is it a different part of speech?
The Free Online Dictionary defines catechize as “to teach the principles of Christian dogma, discipline, and ethics by means of questions and answers.”
While catechism is “a book giving a brief summary of the basic principles of Christianity in question-and-answer form.”
Grandma was 17-years-old when she wrote this entry. I’m surprised that she hadn’t completed catechize and joined the church when she was in her early teens.
17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Saturday, September 21, 1912: Ma made over a skirt for me. Got a pair of rubbers today.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
I guess that Grandma’s mother was trying to save about $1.98 by making over the skirt. I can’t remember the last time I remodeled a skirt . . . or dress. (Actually, I don’t think that I’ve ever remodeled one.) Yet, Grandma and her mother did it regularly.
On June 3, 1912, Grandma wrote:
I am trying to remodel a skirt which was once the property of the benevolent Ruthie. I’ll know whether I’ll wear it or not after it’s finished.
And, on February 24, 1912 she wrote:
I fixed over a dress for myself this afternoon. It was one of my Aunt Annie’s cast-offs. I had one trying time a getting the waist and skirt together. I have it fixed now and tried it on to see the result. I’m not so much pleased with my sewing. It seems rather short in the back.
Grandma sounded like she wasn’t very satisfied with either of her remodeling efforts, but she didn’t express any similar qualms about the skirt her mother remodeled. Apparently her mother was more proficient at sewing than she was.
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On September 18, Grandma mentioned walking to school through the rain and mud—hopefully her new rubber overshoes made the trek slightly less arduous the next time it rained.
17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Wednesday, September 17, 1912: Had to walk to school through the rain. Also through the mud. Our class is deciding upon a class pin, but we’re making such slow progress in making up our minds as to which pin to take, that I doubt we’ll ever get them at all.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Yuck—a mile and a half walk to school in the rain on muddy dirt roads. It sure doesn’t sound like fun. Did Grandma wear galoshes to school?
Did Grandma and her classmates have a catalog that they were going to order the class pin out of? . . . or were they planning to order it from a sales representative or at a nearby jewelry shop?
Grandma’s class was small. Only six students graduated in Spring 1913 from McEwensville High School. It’s amazing how much effort they put into creating a class identity. A few days previous to this diary entry, Grandma wrote about the differences in opinion about class colors and now they can’t seem to agree on a class pin.
17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Monday, September 16, 1912: I don’t feel very good these last few days. I don’t know but I really think that it is likening to be near a grape vine. Alas all mortals have to suffer for their errors.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
If I could have a conversation with Grandma, this is what I’d say:
Grandma, what were you thinking!
Of course, you couldn’t have known we’d be reading it a hundred years later; but what kind of role model is that for your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren?
. . . Actually, given your later strong stance against alcohol, my sense is that some are smiling.
